Onavo Protect Takes The VPN Route To Make Browsing Safe On iPhone

For quite a long time, tools like WOT have been providing a safety net for users surfing the web from their computers, but when you are on your iPhone, common sense is usually the sole protection you have against phishing scams and unsafe websites. Nowadays, your mobile devices often hold much more of your sensitive personal data than desktops, so the potential for disaster in case of a security breach is greater. Android has long been notorious for malware and lax security, but iOS has had its fair share of issues as well. The Google Play Store has apps like Avira Android Security and Advanced Mobile Care that are pretty decent antivirus tools, but iOS doesn’t have much to offer in that genre, with apps like AirCover being rare exceptions. Onavo Protect is a brand new security app from a trusted name in the industry, and it aims to make sure that you never have to worry about inadvertently giving away your private information to scammers while surfing the web from your iPhone. The app also monitors your browsing sessions to ensure that you are alerted whenever a website is not safe.

If the name Onavo sounds familiar to you, that’s because the brand has released a lot of apps for both iOS and Android, including their data monitoring app for Android that we covered in the past. Onavo Protect is completely different from the company’s other apps though, as it routes all your data through a VPN server to scan for potential threats.

To start using Onavo Protect, launch the app and read the instructions carefully. Like with any other VPN-related app for iOS, Onavo Protect works by installing a new profile on your device. This is done by loading a webpage on Safari, and then asking you for permission to install the certificate. Once installed, Onavo automatically turns on the VPN connection whenever you are using Wi-Fi or mobile data connection on your device.

The first thing Onavo Protect checks after coming to life is the security of your Wi-Fi connection. The app notifies its users if the current connection is not secure. If you are on mobile data, the app ensures that you get some extra protection while browsing, sending emails or doing anything involving use of the internet.

While using Safari (or whichever browser you prefer on your iDevice), Onavo Protect blocks websites that are known to be harmful. If a site’s credibility is suspected, you can still view it but are shown a warning to keep you on your guard. Last but certainly not the least, the app makes sure that users are alerted whenever they are about to share their personal information with an untrusted site.

As a byproduct of all the features on offer in Onavo Protect, you also get to bypass region restrictions in some cases, since the app is essentially a VPN. The only problem we encountered while using the latest Onavo app is that you can’t turn off the security features by toggling off the VPN option in Settings, and the VPN gets enabled automatically even if you repeatedly disable it. The only way around this is to select another VPN profile first, and then switch off the toggle.

Onavo Protect is a free app, and doesn’t charge anything for its services either. The app is optimized for all iDevices, so give it a go by heading to the link below.

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AddictiveTips is a tech blog focused on helping users find simple solutions to their everyday problems. We review the best desktop, mobile and web apps and services out there, in addition to useful tips and guides for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS and Windows Phone. Read more...